Teamwork and Solidarity at 81st Convention In the News: Maunalei ...

Washington ObserverProgress on Key Issues As Congress Nears End of SessionC. James PattiSignificant action has been taken on a number of extremelyimportant issues as the 109th Congress draws to a close andthis edition of The Master, Mate & Pilot goes to press. But ifCongress does not complete action prior to its adjournmentfor the year, it will be back to the beginning in terms of thelegislative process on these and other important maritimeinitiatives when the 110th Congress convenes in 2007.National Security Personnel System (NSPS)On June 20, the House of Representativesadded language to its fiscal year 2007Department of Defense (DOD)appropriations legislation (HR 5631)that would prohibit DOD from spendingmoney to implement its proposedNational Security Personnel System(NSPS). The amendment, which MM&Pstrongly supports, was sponsored by Reps.Jay Inslee (D–Wash.), Chris Van Hollen(D–Md.) and Walter Jones (R–N.C.).As of this writing, the Senate versionof the appropriations legislation doesnot contain a bar on the expenditure offunds to implement NSPS. Consequently,the issue will have to be addressed if and when a House–Senate committee conference is convened to reconcile thedifferences between the two versions of the defense spendingbill. In the meantime, MM&P and the other seafaring unionsare working hard to convince Congress to support theprovision prohibiting expenditures to implement NSPS.From the outset, we have strongly opposed DOD’sproposal to include civil service mariners (CIVMARS)under NSPS. We have been successful in obtaining anadministrative exclusion for CIVMARS from the humanresources and appeal provisions of NSPS. We have not yet,however, succeeded in our attempt to achieve a permanentexclusion for CIVMARS from the labor relations’ portionof NSPS. Inclusion of CIVMARS who belong to MM&P’sGovernment Employees Membership Group under thelabor relations portion of NSPS would likely diminish thescope of their collective bargaining rights and the termsand conditions of their employment, which today arecomparable to those enjoyed by MM&P members sailing inthe commercial maritime sector.It is worth noting that in February, Judge EmmettSullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District ofColumbia ruled that DOD could not implement the laborrelations portion of NSPS because—just as MIRAID andMM&P have argued—it usurps the collective bargainingrights of DOD employees. DOD haschosen to file an appeal challengingJudge Sullivan’s decision. Action onthe appeal has not yet been taken orscheduled.Port AccessLanguage originated by MM&Pthat mandates appropriate port andterminal access for crews and theirunion representatives has been addedto the Coast Guard AuthorizationAct of 2006 (HR 5681) by the Houseof Representatives Committee onTransportation and Infrastructure.Specifically, section 307 of HR 5681 states that each facilitysecurity plan “shall provide a system for seamen assignedto a vessel at that facility and representatives of seamen’swelfare and labor organizations to board and depart thevessel through the facility in a timely manner at no cost tothe individual.” The language was added to the bill throughefforts of Committee Chairman Don Young (R–Alaska)and the Committee’s Ranking Democrat, Jim Oberstar(D–Minn.).The legislation has not yet been considered by the fullHouse of Representatives. In addition, no action on theCoast Guard Authorization Act of 2006 has been taken orscheduled by the Senate, and in particular, by its Committeeon Commerce, Science and Transportation.As reported previously in The Master, Mate & Pilot,many U.S. port facilities and terminals have institutedC. James PattiPresident, MIRAID- 14 - September – October 2006 The Master, Mate & Pilot